goodrich



H Hm GU I E Dm 0 ,A M G N No. 60,360. Patented Dec. 11, 1866.

W'itrzesses I Q y e w narsovsusirr IN SEWING-MACHINE eumss.

H. c. eoonrucn, or CHIQAGO, ILLINOIS.

LettersPatent 1Y0. 60,360, dated December 11, 1866.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, H. GOODRICH, of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook, and Stateof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Automatic Guide for Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, represents the elevation of the automatic guide.

Figure 2, the plan of the same, and

Figure 3, the end view of the plate. q

The nature of my invention consists in a guide for holding and guiding the material to be sewn, and which is so constructed, that a uniform pressure by means of weight, smoothes, holds and guides the cloth to be sewed, it being therefore equally good for heavy as well as for light fabrics; also in having the guide and the gauge so combined, that both may be used at the same time, or only the gauge alone may be used, without the use of .the guide. As to the object'of the invention, it consists in removing the difliculties generally'encounteredby all those, who are not experienced in the use of the sewing-machine, in keeping smooth, holding, and guiding straight, all light, flexible, and fine fabrics, while sewing seams, tucks, 8w. Such goods being soft and flexible, require closer attention and more skillful management to keep, the surface smooth, and the edge close to the gauge, to prevent the cloth from rising up at thegauge line, or between it andthe needlea circumstance which makes the seam or tuck too wide-4n other words, to keep the material down to a horizontal position between the gauge line and seam, as well as in front, outside and around the presser foot and needle, while the goods are passing under the same and beingsewed. The several features hereinafter named and embodied in my invention are designed to obviate the aboveenumerated difiiculties, and in the main to do away with that close application and extra required skill, which are so essential to the successful use of the sewing-machine.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation. I

My invention consists in combining with a common sewing-machine gauge A, a thick and rigid metal plate B, said plate being hinged to the gauge at or near the gauge-line, in such a manner that it extends out beyond the gauge-line, and in front of the presser foot or needle of the machine, and rests upon the cloth plate, or upon the upper side of any fabric that may pass to the needle and is being sewed. The plate Bis hinged at its centre to the gauge A by the wire C, in such a manner that it may be folded back upon the gauge, if this alone is required to be used. The plate Bhas also a chamber D in its end, next to the gauge line, which chamber extends as far as the centre of the plate, or more or less, and makes this side of the plate lighter than its other side. The under side of the plate B is cut into sharp, angled corrugations, running across the plate, and parallel with the gauge line. From the above description of my automatic guide, it is evident that the specific gravity or weight of the plate B producing a purely uniform pressure upon the cloth to be sewed, keeps the same smooth, holds it by the corrugations, and being on one end heavier than. on the other, said heaviestend being not directly opposite to the feeder of'the machine, but laying in a diagonal direction from it, automatically inclines the cloth towards the gauge-line, guiding its edge straight along the whole line of the gauge, thus producing true and parallel lines of stitching, without requiring any extra skill in obtaining such results. The loose hinge, or attachment of the plate B to the ordinary gauge, makes my instrument well adapted for two purposes, viz: to be used as a common gauge, and as an automatic guide; also combining two instruments in one, thereby diminishing the cost of two to the cost of one. The plate B, being hinged as aforesaid, will readily yield and adapt itself to any inequalities in and to all the various thicknesses of the cloth, that may he passed under it, exercising always a perfectly uniform pressure, whereby the same resistance to the feeding device is obtained, which results in a uniform length of stitches throughoutthe entire length of seam. It is'clear also that the uniform pressure, combined with a wide range of various thicknesses'of cloth, can only be obtained by mansof weight.

Having thus described my invention, I would remark, that do not claim to have originatedthe idea of an automatic guide, except such as herein described and' specified; nor do I claim smoothing the wrinkles out of any cloth, when being sewed, except--by the means as herein set forth; but what I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl l 1. The rigid plate B, having its under surface corrugated, as shown, when hinged to the guide plate A, as herein set forth, so that it can be folded over back on the plate A, when notin use.

2. I claim the plate B, hinged, as shown, to the plate A, and having its inner end ma'de heavier than its outer end, substantially as elnd for the purpose set forth.

Witnesses:

J. B. Tuncnnv, J. R. Donnme.

C. GOODRI GH. 

